The invention concerns a window-lift device for motor vehicles with a connector means for attaching a window panel to a drive element.
Window-lift devices in motor vehicles are used in vehicle doors as well as for movable widow panels in fixed body parts of the motor vehicle.
Window-lift devices for motor vehicles are commonly attached to a window regulator and other electrical or mechanical components of a door module The door module is then attached to a vehicle door. The door module is typically used as a division between a wet and dry space within the vehicle door. After the vehicle door and the door module are assembled, access to the wet space is limited. Therefore a worker typically cannot observe assembly of the window panel to the window drive element within the vehicle door. Further, the window panel may require adjustment with respect to the window opening or with respect to other vehicle body parts, like the B-column, after attachment of the window panel to the drive element. Adjustment of window panel position is complicated and hindered because a worker must make adjustments without directly viewing the connection between the window panel and the window drive element.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,403 discloses a connector for attaching a window panel to a drive element of a window-lift device. The connector includes a panel-connector and a drive-connector, both including matching connecting features providing connection of the panel-connector and the window panel to the drive-connector. The drive-connector is attached to a rail or other part of the window regulator. The panel-connector is pushed onto a lower edge region of the window panel using a U-shaped glass-channel. The drive-connector is connected to the guiding and lifting/lowering structure of the window regulator. Assembly of the window panel to the window regulator is accomplished by sliding the window panel through the window panel slit at a small angle with respect to a finally aligned window panel position. When the panel-connector abuts an upper connecting area of the drive connector, the window panel is tilted to an aligned position. The lower connecting features of the panel-connector and, the drive-connector snap together. This connecting method is possible without observation by the worker. This connector means provides pre-positioning of the drive-connector and correct position of the panel-connector in relation to the drive-connector without any visual feedback. Adjustment of the window panel in the motor vehicle is difficult with this connector means.
The German public open document DE 28 36 038 A1 discloses another connector for attaching a window panel to a drive element in a window-lift device. This connector includes a panel-connector with a glass-channel and a tongue-like connector piece insertable into a feeding opening of the drive-connector. The drive-connector includes declining catching planes for guiding the connector piece toward a deflectable locking portion. The deflectable locking portion of the drive-connector snaps into a catching hole of the tongue-like connector piece of the panel-connector to interconnect the panel-connector to the drive-connector. The connector piece disclosed requires exact positioning of the panel-connector to find the locking position. Exact positioning is difficult to achieve without visual feedback. Adjustment of the window panel after its connection to the window panel drive is hard to achieve with this type of connector means.
The German laid open document 196 53 046 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,711B1) discloses a connector for attaching a window panel to a drive element of a window-lift device. The connector includes a panel-connector with a glass-channel and a tongue-like connector piece. The connector piece includes a protrusion and the drive-connector includes declining catching planes for the protrusion with a horizontally extending channel at the lower end of the declining catching planes. The horizontally extending channel receives the protrusion and is used as a locking device allowing horizontal movement of the panel-connector relative to the drive-connector. A snap locking device between the panel-connector and the drive-connector allows one-way movement for finding the final position of the window panel. While this connector allows some adjustment of the window panel after being connected to the drive element, adjustment is possible in one direction and it is not possible to return to a former position. Further, this prior art connector provides for blind assembling however, some skill is required to find the connecting position. This type of connector is intended for use in particular applications where the window panel can be moved within a final plane when the window is placed in the right or left side of the vehicle.
All prior art examples referred to here-above utilize tool-less assembling and connecting and do not provide release or adjustment of the window panel in both horizontal directions.
The WO document 00/03111 discloses a releasable connector for attaching a window panel to a drive element in a window-lift device for motor vehicles. This connector does not include a panel-connector but only a hole drilled in a lower rim of the window panel to receive a nut and screw. This connector requires visual feedback to the worker to find the exact positions of the holes in the window glass and does not allow for lateral adjustment of the window panel.
An object of this invention is to simplify assembly of the window panel to the window-lift device, and, particularly for assembly of a window panel to a window lift device for applications where observation of such assembly is difficult or impossible.
Another object of this invention is to provide for adjustment of the window panel after being assembled to the window-lift device without other parts separate from the connector means. Yet another object of the invention is to provide for connector in a window regulator for attaching the window panel to the drive element which is both simple to manufacture and robust.
The present invention is a window-lift device for a motor vehicle including a connector for attaching a window panel to a drive element. The connector includes a panel-connector having a glass-channel and a tongue-like connector piece. A drive-connector is attachable to the drive mechanism of the window-lift device for lifting and lowering the window panel. Matching fixing pieces releasably fix the panel-connector to the drive-connector. An assembly piece is mounted to the drive-connector and supports a first fixing piece in a pre-assembly position. The assembly piece and the drive-connector together provide a feeding opening for the panel-connector for finding an aligned position in which the fixing pieces may be activated to fix the panel-connector to the drive-connector.
The assembly piece is mountable to the drive-connector and supports the first fixing piece and provides a feeding opening for the panel-connector. The feeding opening aligns the panel-connector in a final fixing position. The fixing pieces provide for subsequent adjustment of the lateral window panel position. A further advantage is provided by the simple construction of each part, such that no complicated molded panel-connector and drive-connector are necessary. Instead, very strong and easy to produce panel-connectors and drive-connectors can be fabricated using an extruded or continuous casted metal profile which can be cut to the length needed for a particular window situation.
The assembly piece may be made from an extruded profile, or as a very simple molded plastic part made from recycling material. Low cost manufacturing process are preferably because, after assembly has taken place and the drive-connector and the panel-connector are fixed together by the matching fixing pieces, the assembly piece has no further function and forms a xe2x80x9clost partxe2x80x9d.
A second fixing piece is attached to the panel-connector and guided by the assembly piece when feeding the window panel with the panel-connector to the drive-connector to automatically find an aligned position with the first fixing piece. The assembly piece provides for complete xe2x80x9cblindxe2x80x9d assembly and alignment of the fixing position.
The assembly piece is movably mounted to the drive-connector, such as by being guided along a structure on the drive-connector. This provides for adjustment of the window panel to a final position using only the connector. Adjustment is provided for by pre-fixing the two fixing pieces such that the panel-connector and the drive-connector can be moved relative to each other to find the desired window panel position. Then one fixes the panel-connector to the drive-connector by the matching fixing pieces.